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Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has been one of the most stalwart defenders of widespread NSA surveillance since leaks with information about the programs started seeping out nearly five months ago. Civil libertarians and reformers have been none too pleased with her rhetoric—and they're not going to get any happier after reading the bill she introduced today.
The FISA Improvements Act has already attracted plenty of critics who view it as no improvement at all. In fact, they say, Feinstein's bill would make things much worse. It would actually enshrine the NSA "bulk data" collection programs into law and grant official Congressional approval to widespread surveillance programs that haven't ever received such affirmation before.
Her bill comes on the heels of a competing bill introduced earlier this week that reformers say would be a real step in the right direction. It would outright ban some of the programs that Feinstein is vociferously defending. Dozens of politicians have now stated they're ready to end the controversial "bulk data" programs, including the NSA's practice of keeping a log of every phone call made in the United States. In the House of Representatives, 70 members signed on to a bill proffered by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the sponsor of the original Patriot Act, which would shut the programs down. A companion bill in the Senate has a dozen co-sponsors, as well.
"I'd laugh if I weren't so offended," said Jennifer Granick, of Stanford's Center for Internet and Society, in an e-mailed comment about Feinstein's bill. "It legalizes the currently illegal bulk collection of phone records and its language—whether sloppily or intentionally, I don't know—encourages the NSA to conduct bulk collection of other kinds of records under 215, as well as content, without even the bill's purported 'safeguards.'"
The "enhanced criminal penalties" for unauthorized access to data actually criminalizes anyone who accesses a computer "without authorization," noted Ruthann Robson, professor of Law at City University of New York. "While couched in protecting privacy and data, this provision would also further sanction and chill whistleblowers."
"The modest improvements [the bill] makes are far outweighed by the damage it does to civil liberties," said Greg Nojeim, of the Center for Democracy and Technology.
Capitol Hill showdown brewing on surveillance
In introducing the bill, Feinstein reiterated there's essentially nothing wrong with the current situation. "The NSA call-records program is legal and subject to extensive congressional and judicial oversight, and I believe it contributes to our national security," she said. "But more can and should be done to increase transparency and build public support for privacy protections in place."
Feinstein's statements about the bill make it sound reform-ish, but when closely read, it mainly constitutes re-iterations of the status quo. For instance, the bill "prohibits the bulk collection of the content of communications under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act" (no emphasis in original). The NSA and its defenders, including Feinstein and President Barack Obama, have already stated repeatedly that they don't gather content.
The legislation would also "prohibit the collection of bulk communication records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act except under specific procedures and restrictions set forth in the bill." In other words, it forbids the collection of data unless it's collected in a way that the intelligence committee approves of—essentially the same thing that's been happening for years.
The bill includes other safeguards and reporting requirements, most of which are already in place, such as limiting the number of contacts or "hops" that an analyst can get when querying bulk communications.
The Senate Intelligence Committee passed the bill out of committee on an 11-4 vote earlier today—a vote held in a secret, closed session.
There seems to be a showdown brewing between surveillance hawks and reformers in Congress. Both sides cross party lines in unexpected ways, and it isn't clear which side will prevail. Sensenbrenner's bill has become quickly popular, yet the Senate Intelligence Committee clearly has a strong majority in favor of these programs. Similarly, when General Keith Alexander and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper came to Congress for a hearing on Tuesday, top members of the House Intelligence Committee mostly showed support for their actions. The recent tone suggests that intelligence committees in both houses may be out of step with the sentiment elsewhere in Congress.


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So as much chemistry as Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet have in "Labor Day," and how wonderful their romance looked … come on. The guy escapes prison, kidnaps a woman and her 13-year-old son, and mere hours later they're looking lovingly at each other while mashing fruit for a pie? Most mothers would have sliced his throat, grabbed their kid and run away screaming at their first opportunity. That love connection now joins the ranks of the most improbable romances in film history (not including "Howard the Duck," which was too horrible to even contemplate). Here's five that come to mind.
5. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) in "Star Wars," Episodes 1-3: Right — this is the easiest one ever. She was a queen and a galactic senator, he was an annoying little slave-kid who grew into an even more annoying young man who took a vow of celibacy. The chemistry between them was awful (she deserved an Oscar for not laughing during his "I hate sand" speech) but even if these roles were played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, there's just no way.
4. Billy Madison (Adam Sandler) and Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson) in "Billy Madison": She was an incredibly beautiful, kindhearted schoolteacher. He was a temperamental, undereducated idiot with mood swings motivated by money. Oh yeah, happens all the time.
3. Movies in which Ben Affleck converts lesbians into heterosexual women: One was good "Chasing Amy," one was unspeakably bad "Gigli." Either way, why does this guy think he's that special?
2. Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) in "Knocked Up": Good movie, but he's an overweight slacker with a tremendous amount of body hair, while she's a beautiful woman with a promising television career. OK, people drink too much and sometimes pregnancies result. But the thought of these two actually staying together is beyond silly.
1. Harold (Bud Cort) and Maude (Ruth Gordon) in "Harold and Maude:" A wonderfully sweet movie with life lessons. But even as eccentric as its characters are supposed to be … really?

subset: commoncrawl


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10 Discussion Questions
This reading group was not authorized or approved by the author, publisher or agent for the book. This guide is copyrighted by Janice Harayda, and its sale or reproduction in any form is illegal except by public libraries that many reproduce it for use in their in-house reading groups. Reading groups that wish to use this guide should link to this site or use the "Contact" page on One-Minute Book Reviews to learn how to request permission to reproduce the guide.
In 2004 a Muslim fanatic shot the Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh on an Amsterdam street and used a butcher knife to stab into his chest a five-page letter to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, then a member of the Dutch Parliament. Hirsi Ali had worked with Van Gogh on a film of about female oppression under Islam, entitled Submission, that included shots of a naked, battered woman covered with writings from the Koran. Her memoir, Infidel, begins with an account of the murder and deals with Hirsi Ali's childhood in Somali and elsewhere, her flight to Holland to escape an arranged marriage, her election to Parliament and her eventual move to the United States. When this book came out, she worked for the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
Questions For Reading Groups
1. Some of the practices that Hirsi Ali describes, such as female circumcision, have had wide publicity in the U.S. and may have lost some of their shock value. How did Infidel affect your view of them?
2. Did Infidel change your views of any other events that have had extensive media coverage in the U.S., such as tensions in Western Europe between longtime residents and recent immigrants? How did it affect your views?
3. One of the themes of Infidel is the liberating power of books. Hirsi Ali says that at the Muslim Girls' Secondary School in Nairobi, she read books like 1984, Wuthering Heights and Cry, the Beloved Country. "Later on there were sexy books: Valley of the Dolls, Barbara Cartland, Danielle Steele [sic]. All these books, even the trashy ones, carried with them ideas – races were equal, women were equal to men – and concepts of freedom, struggle, and adventure that were new to me." [Page 69] Some people might say women aren't equal in the novels like those of Susann and Steel – that the goal of their female characters is above all to get a man. Is Hirsi Ali is accurately characterizing any of those books or authors that you've read?
4. Ian Buruma, a Dutch author who has met Hirsi Ali and wrote A Murder in Amsterdam (Penguin, 2006) about the Van Gogh case, said in a review of Infidel: "I know from having spoken to her on several occasions that she resents people attributing her views, including her conversion to atheism, to personal experiences. She insists that she arrived at her opinions intellectually and not because she was traumatized, say, by being painfully circumcised as a child, or brutally beaten by her religious instructor or tormented by guilt whenever she was touched by a boy." [The New York Times Book Review, March 4, 2007, p. 14] Did Infidel convince you that Hirsi Ali arrived at her opinions that way? Why or why not? How much, if any, difference does her ability to do this make to the overall success of the book?
5. Buruma says in the same review that Hirsi Ali's descriptions of life in the West "have an idealized, almost comic book quality that sounds as naïve as those romantic novels she consumed as a young girl" and "offers up the West as a caricature of sweetness and light, which is then contrasted not to specific places, like Somalia, Kenya or Saudi Arabia, but to the whole Muslim world." Do you agree? Or do you think she was describing Holland as she saw it at first, a view that later changed?
6. Generations of American school children were taught, and some may still learn, that in the Crusaders went to the Holy Land to fight the "infidels." The word that Americans once applied to people in other parts of the world, some now apply to us. How, if at all, does this affect your view of the use of words like "infidel"?
7. Hirsi Ali says that "a new idea crept up on me" on her first day in Bonn, a stopover on her way to Canada to join a husband she had been forced to marry: She didn't have to go to Canada but "could disappear here." [page 187] Did you believe that this idea suddenly occurred to or that she'd been planning all along to defect? Why?
8. After arriving in Holland, Hirsi Ali went to the Refugee Aid office and learned that the authorities wouldn't give her asylum just because she had been forced to marry a man she didn't love. So she cooked up another story about why she wanted to stay: "This story was detailed, consistent, but it was an invention. With hindsight I'm not proud of this fact but, but yes, it is true that I did not tell my full story to get into Holland." [Page 193] Later she invents another story so her sister can stay in the Netherlands. What makes much of Infidel credible despite these admissions?
9. Hirsi Ali says that the Dutch government treated her well while reviewing her application for refugee status. She received free meals and housing in a tidy bungalow in a compound with a swimming pool and tennis and volleyball courts. Hirsi Ali also had free laundry services, legal representation, and health care, and got a "weekly allowance" to cover her basic needs. [Page 192] Did any of this make you say, "I want to move to Holland! Where's my plane ticket?"
10. Some critics have referred to Hirsi Ali a "feminist" because of her strong advocacy of the rights of Muslim women. Yet she took a job with an American conservative think tank. Are these two incompatible? ["No Rest for a Feminist Fighting Radical Islam," by William Grimes, The New York Times, Feb. 14, 2007, p. E1.]
11. Some of the ideas in Infidel relate to those in Reading Lolita in Tehran, which is popular with reading groups. If your club has read that book, what similarities and differences do you see between the two?
Vital statistics:
Infidel. By Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Free Press, 353 pp., $26. Published: February 2007.
A review of Infidel appeared on One-Minute Book Reviews, http://www.oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com on April 2, 2007, and is archived with the April posts and in the "Memoirs" category.
Most reading group guides come from publishers or Web sites that accept advertising from them or fees for preparing the guides. One-Minute Book Reviews does not accept free books or ads from publishers. All of its reading guides offer an independent evaluation of books by award-winning journalist Janice Harayda www.janiceharayda.com that is not influenced by marketing concerns.
If you found this review helpful, please see the "Totally Unauthorized Reading Group Guides" category on One-Minute Book Reviews for others and bookmark the site so you don't miss future reviews I would also be grateful if you would forward a link to the site to others who might like to know about it.
© 2007 By Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.


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There are people groups who still have no one to tell them about Jesus. Millions of people who would respond to Christ if they only knew. We need people who are willing and equipped to go.
Lu 10:2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Lord, I thank You for pursuing me when I didn't know you. I thank You for putting people in my life and bringing people across my path that were willing to introduce me to the lover of my soul.
I know it is not Your will that any should perish, so I lift up the
Unreached Peoples of Middle East & North Africa
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Unreached Peoples of Middle East & North Africa
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NORFOLK, Va. — A drearily familiar dialectic is on display here: Government is behaving badly in order to silence protests of other bad behavior. It is violating the Constitution's First Amendment, stifling speech about its violation of the Fifth Amendment, as it was properly construed until 2005.
Founded in 1934, Central Radio maintains communication, sonar and camera equipment on vessels at Norfolk Naval Station. The business is located in a building designed for its needs near the waterfront. Company Vice President Kelly Dickinson says, 'We can drive five minutes and be on board a ship.'
But Old Dominion University is nearby and covetous. It wants the land on which Central Radio sits, and through ODU's Real Estate Foundation is well along toward seizing it by inciting the city government to wield the power of eminent domain. Condemnation proceedings against Central Radio have moved to the compensation phase. Dickinson says the compensation will be insufficient to enable the business to construct a comparable building, let alone buy land for it. ODU, whose plans for the neighborhood remain interestingly vague and may include a shopping center, is exploiting the judicial evisceration of the Fifth Amendment's takings clause, the history of which is this:
The Constitution's authors, who did not scatter adjectives carelessly, said property may be taken for 'public' uses, meaning things — roads, bridges, buildings, etc. — directly owned by government and used by the general public. In 1954, however, in a case arising from what was then complacently called 'urban renewal,' the Supreme Court expanded the category of 'public use' to include the 'public purpose' of curing 'blight,' a concept of enormous elasticity when wielded by rapacious city governments. In 2005, in the Kelo case from New London, Conn., the court radically attenuated the 'public use' restriction on takings. The court held, 5-4, that a city government can seize anunblightedneighborhood for the supposed 'public' purpose of turning it over to a private business that, being wealthier than the previous owners, would be a richer source of tax revenues for the taking government.
In this appalling decision, the majority serenely said governments could be restrained by public opinion aroused against abuses of eminent domain. Now, however, Norfolk's government is suppressing Central Radio's speech protesting what the city is doing.
In their desperation, the company's executives hung from their building, facing busy Hampton Boulevard, a 375 square-foot banner proclaiming:
In the banner's lower right-hand corner is a circle with a red slash through the words 'Eminent Domain Abuse.'
Today that circle is all that is visible. The city, acting on a complaint by ODU's Real Estate Foundation — the entity trying to seize the company's property — says the size of the full sign violates Norfolk's sign code. Norfolk's behavior is unconstitutional because:
The city's sign code, which is of rabbinical complexity, has been capriciously enforced — some banners on city and private buildings violate the code's size restrictions. The code is more permissive regarding signs with particular content (e.g., government messages or religious symbols), which violates First Amendment jurisprudence prohibiting content discrimination. The sign code is suddenly being more evenhandedly enforced but only because, a city official has admitted, since Central Radio began protesting, 'people are watching.' Furthermore, any content-based speech restriction must pass judicial 'strict scrutiny' by establishing that it is necessary to achieve a compelling governmental interest, but the government's only interest in restricting Central Radio's speech is to make it easier for the government to throw its weight around.
We have seen this before. A few years ago, a St. Louis man whose property was being seized under Kelo's permission for government theft adorned his building with a sign similar in size and message to that of Central Radio's. The city government tried to silence him with sign restrictions as flawed and capriciously enforced as Norfolk's are. An alderwoman explained with ruinous candor: 'If this sign is allowed to remain, then anyone with property along any thoroughfare can paint signs … to influence passersby and with no control by any city agency.' Uncontrolled speech? Gracious.
The St. Louis man trounced the city in his sign dispute, helped by the Institute for Justice, a little platoon of libertarian litigators who roam the country putting leashes on misbehaving governments. Because IJ is representing Central Radio's First Amendment rights, Norfolk may have to content itself with traducing only one rather than two provisions of the Bill of Rights.
(George Will's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com.)


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Start with the big stuff
Begin your planning by establishing focal points. These can include trees, big shrubs and tall ornamental grasses, as well as structures such as a gazebo, archway, pond, trellis or statue. Once these are in place, the rest of your landscaping can fill in around them.
Include your house in your planning
The house and yard should work together in terms of style, scale, colors and materials. Use trees to frame a house, not conceal it or overwhelm it. Shrubs and flowers should form a welcoming approach to your home's entrance. Create foundation plantings that are more than just a line of shrubs around the house -- try varying levels of plants, deep borders and curves.
Look inside-out
Sit at the kitchen table or in the den and look out at your landscape-to-be. What would you like to see? Plan views from the inside looking out so you get as much pleasure from landscaping when you're in your house as when you're outside.
Study your space
Look at your yard at different times of day, from different angles and in different weather conditions. Take pictures to help you remember what it looks like. Learn where the sunlight falls, where the shade pockets are, where the rain pools. Choose plants adapted to your yard's conditions and your area's hardiness Zone. Here, hostas thrive in the shade of big trees.
Think way ahead
It's sunny now, but will it be in a few years? Once the trellis is built, the garden shed goes up and the trees get big, will you still have sunshine where you want it? That sunny wildflower patch you envision by the fence won't work if you plant trees there now. You can move some plants later, but your basic layout should incorporate changing shade patterns.
Shop wisely
Landscaping -- labor, plants and materials -- may be much more expensive than you think. Do some comparison-shopping at local garden centers, and check prices at online nurseries, too. Create a budget and a priority list if you're not able to afford everything at once.
Be realistic about your commitment
Almost anything can look good on paper, but a year down the road, cool ideas can become problems. Will you really prune that rose or aggressive vine? Will you keep the fence painted and sealed? Will you clean and maintain your pond or fountain? Plan plants and features you know you can handle.
Light up your yard
Make lighting an integral feature of your deck, patio, paths and other landscape areas. It's not only beautiful; it's important for safety, and it will allow you to use your yard past sundown. There are so many types of lighting available, you can find lots of options that meld with your garden's style.
Make an entrance
The landscape begins at the edge of your property, not the edge of your house. Professionals often use some element -- a gate, an arbor, a small fence, a hedge or a border garden -- to create a sense of entrance from the front or side yard. Here, roses and honeysuckle drape a backyard gate.
Create paths
A garden path allows you -- and visitors -- to enjoy your landscaping. It also creates a convenient route for plant maintenance. If your yard is large, plan paths at least 3 feet wide so people can walk together. Allow extra space for plants to spill over the sides, or for a bench.
Consider mature plant size
Don't worry if the garden bed looks skimpy when you plant it. Consider ultimate sizes before you buy plants. This is especially important with trees and shrubs, which may overgrow windows, power lines or views. A tree will be only a few feet tall when you buy it, but varieties such as the Colorado blue spruce at left typically grow up to 50 feet high and 20 feet wide.
Throw some curves
Curves, angles and free-form, flowing edges add interest to landscape design. Use curves -- such as paths, fences and edging -- to draw attention to a special place (such as a gazebo) or a special planting. At left, feverfew, 'Hyperion' daylilies and yellow Marguerite daisies line a curving path to the front door.
Integrate vegetables with other plants
It's OK to have a separate vegetable garden, but it's not essential. A vegetable garden mingling with flowers or disguised as one more flowing border garden can be just as fruitful and more aesthetic than a rectangular plot plunked in the middle of a lawn. Here, red Crocosmia and orange cosmos spice up a bed around a cucumber vine.
Add small touches
Focal points in a garden don't have to be big and expensive. A hand-painted birdhouse finds a home among coneflowers and other bright plantings. A small fountain might be just the tonic for a bland patio. Drop some garden art in the middle of a flowerbed.
Mass colors for impact
Cluster several of the same plant variety together for more color clout. If nearby plants will bloom at the same time, check plant tags or references to make sure the colors will complement or contrast, rather than clash. The many layers of this garden include lilies, feather reedgrass and conifers.
Fall for foliage
Include plants with variegated and colorful foliage to give seasonlong color to your landscape. A burgundy-tinted leaf doesn't fade like a flower blossom; it lingers all season. Some plants, such as ornamental grasses and red-twig dogwood, also provide visual interest even through a long Midwest winter. At left, hostas, ferns and other shade-loving plants lend lush foliage.
Play up contrasts
The eye loves contrasts. Texture, color and shape can all provide contrast in a garden. Here, salvias, azaleas, miniature bearded irises and Euonymus shroud retaining walls.
Give plants the right TLC
Make sure you understand what kind of care your plants need. Many require special attention in the first couple of years, then can thrive even with some neglect. Avoid overwatering and overfertilizing plants.
Diagnose problems quickly
If your lawn or plants suddenly develop problems such as spots, holes or discoloration, identify the culprit. Look into soil conditions, sunlight, watering, fertilization, mowing, pests (such as the beetle damage shown at left) and diseases. If you're unsure of the problem, contact your county extension office or visit a local gardening center for help. Quick identification can save your landscaping.
Do your own thing
Although you can borrow an idea or two from your neighbors' landscapes, don't copy too much. Your soil, site, conditions and taste will differ. A landscape should be personal, and you'll enjoy it more if you do it just for you.


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Business update: GM profit sinks; CEO sees no recall hit to sales
DETROIT — The cost of recalling nearly 7 million cars and trucks sank General Motors' first-quarter profit, but the company's CEO said the much-publicized recalls have yet to cut into sales.
GM on Thursday reported its worst financial results in more than four years, with profit falling 86 percent to $125 million. The biggest contributor was a $1.3 billion charge to cover a series of recalls announced since early February, most notably 2.6 million small cars with defective ignition switches.
The Detroit automaker is facing government investigations and lawsuits over the small-car recall. On a conference call, CEO Mary Barra called the company's handling of the recall unacceptable but said that, so far, bad publicity has not had a "meaningful impact" on sales. She also said GM is offering employee discounts to owners of cars with the faulty ignition switches.
Christian Mayes, an industrials analyst with Edward Jones, said the stock decline could be due to investor concerns about GM U.S. market share.
GM's first-quarter share fell 0.6 points to 17.4 percent compared with a year ago. In a 16 million-vehicle market, the drop equals nearly 10,000 vehicles. Mayes said GM has $27 billion in cash and can handle the recall costs, "but I think the market share is a big deal. There's very strong competition out there from all the other automakers."
GM made 6 cents per share in the first quarter, down from 58 cents a year ago. The recall charge alone cut 48 cents off its earnings. But excluding one-time items, GM made 29 cents per share, far above Wall Street estimates of 3 cents per share. Revenue rose more than 1 percent.
Still, it was a rough start to what many expected would be a strong year for the Detroit automaker.
The U.S. government its remaining stake in GM at the end of last year, freeing the company of the "Government Motors" nickname. In January, GM announced its first quarterly dividend in six years. And it has rolled out multiple new models in recent months including high-profit pickup trucks and full-size SUVs.
But the recalls have overshadowed Barra's first months as CEO. GM has linked the ignition switch problem to 13 deaths and has acknowledged knowing about it for at least a decade. Barra was grilled earlier this month by two congressional panels seeking an explanation on why GM dragged its feet. She said answers would come from an internal investigation.
GM also announced other recalls that pushed the total to near 7 million cars and trucks.
Barra said the company has formed a leadership team to focus on recall issues. But, as before, she made no excuses for GM's behavior. "It doesn't matter that the roots of the issue are more than a decade old," she said.
She told analysts that dealers are taking advantage of increased showroom traffic due to the recalls. But spokesman Jim Cain said GM has asked dealers to use employee pricing not as a marketing tool, but to help owners of cars with bad ignition switches to trade for a new car. Employees generally pay 4 percent below dealer invoice.
Without the recalls, GM would have had a strong quarter. Revenue grew 1.3 percent from a year ago to $37.4 billion, in line with analysts' estimates.
"Clearly the headline results are overshadowed by the recall charges," Chief Financial Officer Chuck Stevens said.
GM's global sales for the quarter rose 2.3 percent to 2.42 million vehicles. China sales grew 13 percent, and sales in Europe rose less than 1 percent. But sales fell 2 percent in North America, GM's most profitable region, and dropped 10 percent in South America.


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Dakota handles cold-shooting Durand at Pec tourney
PECATONICA - While the Dakota girls weren't exactly shooting lights out Wednesday, their struggles still paled in comparison to Durand's on the third night of the Pecatonica Holiday Tournament.
The Durand Bulldogs (4-5) made just two shots in the second half and the Indians (9-2) were able to pull away and improve to 2-0 in the tourney with a 50-30 victory.
Dakota led by 10 at the half, but stretched its lead to 19 by the end of the third quarter, which didn't include a single point for the cold-shooting Bulldogs.
"They just shot the ball very poorly," Dakota coach Kevin Cline said. "They are a much, much better shooting team than what you saw in that second half. They're a dangerous team with lots of weapons."
Durand made its only two of 16 second-half attempts in the fourth quarter, at which time the game was well out of reach.
"Their length really kind of intimidated us," Durand coach Tim Hardy said. "That was really what I saw. And we've got to throw better passes. We've got to get stronger with the ball."
Jaycee Cleaver poured in a game-high 17 points for the Indians, who missed their fair share of easy shots inside, but it didn't end up hurting them in the 20-point victory.
"The only thing I was disappointed with this entire night was the fact that we missed all those easy shots and failed to put it away earlier," Cline said. "We probably could've had it salted away by halftime without all those missed bunnies. I would've liked to have been able to pull the starters and coast a little bit sooner than we did"
Cristina Wolfe led Durand with 10 points, all of which came in the first half when she knocked down three 3-pointers.
North Boone 51, Genoa-Kingston 40: The Vikings trailed by seven at halftime at Pec, but used a 12-3 third quarter to take over the lead and put the game away by scoring the final 14 points in the fourth quarter.
North Boone was paced by Renee Martin's double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds. Paityn Morris added 18 points in the Vikings victory.
Andrea Strohmaier had 13 points for the Cogs.


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Plant biosecurity
The mission of Western Australia's plant biosecurity programs is to safeguard plant resources from exotic and established pests and diseases. The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) has adopted a 'biosecurity continuum' approach with pre-border, border and post-border biosecurity strategies as integral components of this approach.
The aim of DAFWA's approach is to identify key threats to productivity, sustainability and market access and outline preventive and response strategies.
The management of biological risks to market access, product safety, quality, productivity and sustainability is a shared responsibility and can be managed together and cost-effectively by means of partnerships between industry, community and government.
DAFWA's biosecurity policies and operations are targeted to facilitate safe trade, tourism and commodity movement whilst reducing exposure of the State's plant resources to exotic biological risks.
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Registered Charity 3104
Mailing address:
PO Box 322,
Modbury North,
South Australia 5092
1300 128 339
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday,
10am - 4pm
ME/CFS South Australia Inc supports the needs of sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. We do this by providing services and information to members.
ME/CFS South Australia Inc aims to keep members informed of various research projects, diets, medications, therapies, news items, etc. All communication, both verbal and written, is merely to disseminate information and not to make recommendations or directives.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed on this Web site are not necessarily the official views of the Society or its Committee and are not simply an endorsement of products or services.
Donate To SAHMRI
Saturday 5 December 2020
From the South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI):
Donate To SAHMRI
Your support can help improve the lives of people suffering with ME/CFS
Can You Help?
Can you imagine living every day where every system in the body is affected so that you become housebound or bedridden?
On Sunday, 12 May the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) joined a global day of action campaign to raise awareness and funding for Dr Michael Musker's research studies in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
Your generous donation today will transform the lives of over 100,000 Australians living with this debilitating disease.
"We aim to complete meaningful clinical research projects in collaboration with the ME/CFS community that will enhance the scientific knowledge, developing evidence that can grow over time, and be shared through publication enhancing the international research in this space. It is our vision to promote evidence of biological changes in those who are suffering from ME/CFS at different stages of wellness. Informing diagnostic intelligence and enhancing biological exploration of ME/CFS."
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Today in the News: North Korea crimes 'don't have any parallel'
Quote of note
"The suffering and tears of the people of North Korea demand action." - United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights Chairman Michael Kirby, talking today after detailing the crimes of North Korea. The country's brutality "does not have any parallel in the contemporary world," according to the UN commission. North Korea uses murder, starvation, torture, sexual crimes and more to uphold the power structure.
News to know
Police are investigating the claims of Miranda Barbour, 19, who claimed to a newspaper that she has killed at least 22 people. Barbour and her husband were arrested for the murder of a man she met through Craigslist, and she told The Daily Item that she was raised a Satanist and has repeatedly killed.
Snake-handling pastor Jamie Coots of Middlesboro, Ky., died on Saturday night after a snake bit him during his church service. Coots had appeared on the National Geographic Television reality show "Snake Salvation."
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text: This Innovation and Entrepreneurship course focuses on the interconnection between entrepreneurial thinking and innovation. Specifically, we look at models used in Silicon Valley to grow both start-up companies as well as innovation inside large organizations. Bringing together top Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley faculty, this course addresses critical areas for successful growth, including design thinking, open innovation, business models, product-market fit, and financing. This course will teach you how to think like an entrepreneur and provides the models, tools and frameworks to further develop your business or idea. An emphasis will be placed on the IT space. In this second part, From Design Thinking to Funding, the following areas are included: design thinking; innovation cycle process; business modeling; and funding.


text:
Wellcome to watch Cypress Creek vs Spring Woods Live Stream Online. 2021-22 High School Football Seasonal Game. You can Cypress Creek vs Spring Woods easily watch any Device to stream the NFHS NETWORK Channel
High school football back in play!. Coronavirus hit high school football hard, but we have hope it will start soon. then It's time to watch high school football game live. But how to watch live? Here you can know how to watch Cypress Creek vs Spring Woods live 2021 high school football game online in cable or without cable. we are informed you high school all state match information, how to live, match live score, match preview, match schedule. how to watch today's Cypress Creek vs Spring Woods match live with cable or without cable in online?
More Information
Event: Cypress Creek vs Spring Woods
Date: 14, October 2021
Time: 6:30p
TV Channel: NFHS Network
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Training for the upcoming season usually starts with weightlifting and other conditioning activities, such as specialized speed and agility training. In some states, this begins a few weeks after the end of the previous season, and in others as late as August. Some states allow seven on seven scrimmages, while others prohibit formal practices during most of the summer. Near the end of the summer in mid-August, double sessions tend to begin and usually last for one week or until school starts. After double sessions end, regular season practices begin with daily sessions each week day afternoon except on game day. Practices are often held on Saturday as well, but almost never on Sunday.
The regular season typically consists of ten games in most states; Kansas is one of the few states which limits teams to nine. Teams in Minnesota usually play eight, [9] while teams in New York typically schedule only seven. The first game of the season is usually in early September, or late August, and the final regular season game is usually in mid to late October, with the end of the season varying by state and climate. Teams may have one or more bye weeks during the regular season. Larger schools (especially those with successful programs) can often draw attendances in the thousands, even for regular season games, and in some cases may play the game at a college or professional stadium to accommodate the expected large crowds.
Football On Friday Night
The vast majority of high school football games are scheduled on Friday nights, with Thursday evenings and Saturdays being less heavily used. Alternate days are most common in larger school districts.
High school football Friday all states team play. So, fan's You can watch & download the app for PC, Apple, Roku, Android, Fire TV, your Smart TV and many others to stream the game online. Click Here
Broadcast TV Channel:
High school football's mostly limited regional appeal, and because most games take place during prime time (albeit during the Friday night death slot), television exposure of high school football on both a local and national basis tends to be limited to championship games only, or for the regular season to the lower-tier stations in a market such as a MyNetworkTV.
There has also been a marked increase in recent years of web-based media covering high school sporting events.In many television markets, local stations will air 30 or 60-minute 'scoreboard' shows following their late Friday newscast with scores and highlights from games in their coverage area.
NFHS Network
The NFHS Network is the leader in streaming Live and On Demand high school sports. The NFHS Network covers 27 different regular season and postseason sports, as well as other high school activities, celebrating the accomplishments of students-athletes, student broadcasters, and high schools across the country. Partnered with the National Federation of State High School Associations, 44+ high school state athletic/activities associations, and PlayOn! Sports, the NFHS Network is a joint venture created to provide fans with the ability to stream high school sports.
striv tv
Striv helps high schools live stream their sports and other events. So that all of their fans catch every game live for free. You Can Watch High School Football Game Live Online striv tv. Here They Inform High School Sports Match News, Live Info, Match Info. Striv helps high schools Football live stream Any Where
Your home for live streams, replays and highlights from the nation's top amateur sports. There are currently no ongoing lives treams or events. Please check out our past and upcoming events. BallerTV's mission is to rapidly expand the spectrum of sports coverage so you'll never miss a game again. Different Ways to Watch. Live Streams BallerTV provides LIVE video of your favorite athlete or team. Watch anywhere you have internet connection.
High School Sports Live began during the 2009 – 2010 Football Season. In its inaugural year, HSSL telecasted eight tape delayed games and one Live game. Drawing large crowds to games and a strong viewership, HSSL moved to Live events during the 2010 – 2011 season. Since, the rapid growth of the program increased to a schedule of 34 Football game. Wrestling matches in 21 televised events in the 2012 – 2013 season. Then in 2014, High School Sports Live grew once again. Broadcasting top Basketball, Wrestling and Football games throughout a 10 county region.


text:
For the latest updates to Global Public Square, including show information and Fareed's Take, visit the new GPS site on CNN.com.
Hi Svelga be careful as them hindus live to raype smelts and sardines.
LOL.... Toothpick size lulli (sanskrit for small dikk) of these hindoo raypists.
Scratching their balls is second nature to Indian Hindus. They do it while bobbling their head side to side with an eye roll.
Smorgasbord is to Sweden what raypes are to India. Hejdä
India is the well of global terror. The inspiration of all evil in that society emanates from hinddoou philosophy that is evil, medieval and dark vide Rig-Veda and Gita Bhagavad the SOPs of terrorism.
Terrorism is rampant in the region in part financed by Indians. We need to revisit our relationship with India. American taxpayers will not tolerate this anymore. We need to take care of our own populace going forward. We cannot be exporting jobs to India or giving it financial or technical handouts.
India has become too big to govern or create any value for western countries or even for its own population. India needs to be carved up into smaller independent states to be a viable economically and geo politically.
Agreed. Not my tax dollars. Let the hi doos raipe themselves to extinction.
My name is Shankar and I am ashamed to be an Indian. My mama sent me a tiffin box . When I opened it there was a note from her. She asked me to go raype some girls in India tonight. I told her NO. I will now follow Scientology's teaching and respect girls. My name is Shanku and I am considering converting to Scientology.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, We hindus love to eat cow dung.
Good decision. Easy on cow shiet.
The problem in India is that national and local politics are controlled by Hindu fanatical groups such as Shiv Sena which are akin to KKK. These are extremist groups with a neo nazi bent And hindutva agenda. They are anti minorities and anti foreigners. Plus they are raypists. They beat women up and abuse them.
On a worst case scenario basis if 140 million women have been raypedin India (CNN Projections) typically by a gang of 5 people, then that implies that 700 million men or half India's population are raypists (unless some are rayping multiple times). THAT IS TWICE THE POPULATION OF USA!!!!
Furthermore, these child molesting/wife beating/domestic violence oriented Indian men are spread throughout the world and pose a danger to these societies in USA, EU and elsewhere. They are potential sleeper cells of violence, if you will, similar to Al Qaeda.
Americans have hindus over a barrel and they are rolling them over. Just like they rolled the Jaipanese over. All of them are dead in the water. Failed experiments.
If you look at the knees of India's hinddoous you will notice scabs. Due to constant bending down! Why? Because look at their 2% GDP. Half of that is due to American aid. Source: OECD: Call centers, H1B visas, food donations, technological aid for energy needs, military aid, low or no interest loans ... Highest of any country, outright financial aid, PR aid, job creation aid....... AID AID AID and more AID.
This guy from India who lives in the neighborhood just rayped the squirrel in his yard. He was chanting a hindu bhajan during the raype ritual.
The Indian Debacle has overshadowed the European crisis. GDP that has dropped off the cliff (-2% real gdp est), budget deficits, collapse of Indian rupiah, rampant poverty, unemployment, FDI reversal, companies leaving town are some of the disastrous events that are threatening the Indian state.
The downward spiralling is so severe that the Indian government has been ulable to control it. Even the Americans have been unable to help and several trips by the treasury secretary were not helpful.
This also has security repercussions for India and US defense secretary and secretary of state, among others, have flown in to counsel India on how to protect its borders with the help of Israel/IDF. Rumors have it that the breakup of India along the lines of Soviet Union is a very plausible scenario that I am sure intelligence agencies all over the world are factoring in their geopolitical stress tests.
Thank you for the heads up. Very informative.
Inspite of the economic debacle they are in, the hindus continue rayping their girls like there is no tomorrow.
Modi's balls have been cut off by the Sikhs.
Did you see them Indians coming out like rats from Yemen? Why cant the Indian government feed them in India? These hindoos are a drain on global resources.
They are all over the middle east being provided jobs and food and housing by arab moslems. And all these hindoos do is complain.
We call upon India to understand that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would accept nothing short of their right to self-determination as promised to them by the UNSC and accepted by India and the international community.
Hillary's announcement for presidential bid is imminent. Should be interesting.
Yup. The other guy Bush cant figure out whether he is mexican or american.
Que pasa?
There are 2 types of India ..... neanderthal and ancient. One indulges in cannibalism and the other in rayping their sisters.
You see the hindoos invented gang raipes to accelerate nirvana. But then they raipe on moving buses from Point A start of raipe to Point B end of raipe the whole experience ends quicker.
And while doing so they also kill 3 birds with one stone.
#1 Enjoy the raipe.
#2 Get the raipe over quicker.
#3 Gang raipes are a communal activity
Billy, YOU are a genius! Truly !
There is a raype festival goin on in India. Raype Mela they call it. The ttolls are busy ova dere. LOL
Trolls not ttolls. Lol
My name is Shankar and I am ashamed to be a hindoo from India. My mama calls me Shanku the Skunku because of body odor issues. You can call me Beef Shanks. My partner calls me Hank.
My amma sent me a tiffin box . When I opened it there was a p@nis floating in the chicken curry. It was her neighbor's who rayped her. She cut it off made a curry of it and sent it to me to devour.
Them hinduus raypin away in Bombay.
Hey Svetna. How is Hans doing.
@Dr. Silverstein. Is your fetus bucket full yet? Yes? Just dump it into the fetus barrel and when it's full dump it into the fetus trough that leads to the fetus spillway. How's the misses?
I got caught with my 14 year old girlfriend and became a statistic. I didn't chant anything American Christian youths didn't. You greedy lazy fat stupid Christian gay americans are some real freaks.
I eat Hindu boogers and Hindu poopie Mmmmmmm Tastes like chicken LMFAO
Viva India!
I like to munch on Hindu boogers.
Really the best.
Tastes like chicken LMFAO
Sooooo true.
I eat Hindu poop from India and Hindu boogers.
Tastes like chicken. ..
My name is Shanker Chootia. I am proud to be Hindu.
Praide India
Hi. I am Butch. I am Hindu and I ♡ India very much.
I kiss the ground of beautiful India and I kiss the feet of Modi.
Butch. You are a genius!
Praise India. I love and worship Modi and Shiva.


text:
Easy Valentine's Day Decorations and Gifts
Smart cookie
A heart-shape cookie cutter is just the right size to hold a couple of chocolate hearts. Hot glue cookie cutter to pink glitter paper, then glue a ribbon to the side of the cookie cutter, winding it around the heart.
Wonderful watercolor
Spread the love with a special hand-made card. Draw a design on white cardstock with a white China marker or white crayon. Lay some watercolor on top to reveal the design and bring bright color to the page. Pair with a bright envelope.
Valentine's votives
Show off costume jewelry, a flower, a heart-shape ornament, a bonbon or other pretty items in glass votives. Top with a Valentine-theme paper cupcake liner, and tie with colored string.
Use this idea either to create a centerpiece or to package gifts such as lip balm, candy, a poem or movie tickets.
Cupcake liner bouquet
A Valentine's bouquet that's inexpensive and long-lasting! We created our flowers using two mini cupcake liners and three regular cupcake liners. Flatten cupcake liners and use a straight pin to poke two small holes about an inch apart in the center of the liners. Insert floral wire up through one set of holes and back down the other to hold liners together and serve as a "stem." Pinch and shape the cupcake liners as desired. If you want a fuller flower, use more liners. Wrap the stem with floral tape.
Candy covers
Dress up wrapped candy bars by adding your own papers, messages, ribbons and other accents.
The language of love
Make a sweet message by putting out your Valentine's treats in letter-shape dishes. Search online for "ceramic letter dishes"; one source is ivylanedesign.com.
Valentine's cupcake bouquet
Surprise your sweetie with a pot of our amazingly easy cupcake roses.
Instructions for the cupcake bouquet.
Stamped cookies
Create a personal message on either packaged or homemade sugar cookies. Use a pastry brush to dab red food coloring onto clean rubber stamps normally used for crafts. Lightly press a message into cookies.
Book lovers
Give a bookmark with heart to the reader in your life. Cut rectangles out of cream-color and red wool felt. For the bookmark at left, we cut a heart out of the cream-color felt, trimmed the edges of the red felt with scallop-edge scissors and glued the pieces together. For the bookmark at right, we stitched up the middle using embroidery floss, then glued on a red felt heart.
Photo card
Make this easy photo booklet for a family member who can display it on a dresser or shelf. Accordion-fold patterned card stock, center a photo in each square (our squares are about 4 inches), and attach with photo corners. Punch a hole in the back for ribbon. Fold paper and tie the ribbon; add a Valentine's scrapbooking charm if you like.
Paper curls wreath
This wreath covered with paper curls makes a pretty decoration for your home. To start this project, tightly wrap 1x6-inch strips of patterned paper around a pencil to curl. Glue the end of each curl into a loop. Hot-glue the paper to an 8-inch foam wreath form, and repeat until the form is covered. Embellish with a Valentine's Day sentiment if you like.
Treat jars
It takes just minutes to make these cute candy holders. Wrap small jars with wide ribbon and hold in place with a cord bow. Fill jars with skewered gumdrops or other favorite sweets.
Valentine's buffet
This sweet buffet table was arranged for a Valentine craft-making party among girlfriends, but you could use the same idea for any gathering. Food is low-prep and portable: champagne, nuts, candies and cookies.
Dress up soda
Make a container of soda or beer more special by adding scrapbook papers, ribbon and a tag. Use double-sided tape or glue to attach paper.
60-Second Video: Valentine's decorating inspirations
Add some love to your home with these easy Valentine's Day projects. It's amazing how a few simple touches create a cozy and warm atmosphere for a romantic evening.
Tea time
Fill a pretty teapot with flowers for a centerpiece or gift. To indulge a tea lover, give with a tea bag-shape tag and include a pair of cups and assorted teas.
Creative cookie gifts
Package your Valentine's cookies in a simple, pretty homemade bag. Slip a cookie or two in a plastic treat bag (available at crafts stores) with a piece of scrapbooking paper. Fold contrasting paper over the opening, punch two holes, and tie with ribbon.
To make your cookies pink, add a few drops of gel food coloring to sugar cookie dough. Decorate with sugar hearts (attached with frosting) if you like.
Key to my heart
Giving a box of chocolates or another heart-shape gift for Valentine's? Make it extra-special with an old-fashioned key, available at crafts stores or vintage shops.
Festive candle
Add Valentine's candy nonpareils in the bottom of a votive for a festive candle display. Small glass beads from a crafts store will give a similar look.
Stamp muslin bags
Package Valentine's gifts in a personalized muslin bag. Place a piece of cardstock inside the bag and stamp an image on the front. When the ink is dry, fill with candy.
Love notes
Decorate a mantel, window or mirror with a garland of mini love notes for your sweetie. We created ours from white cardstock, red paper and pink glitter paper, but you could use any supplies you have in the house or use inexpensive purchased cards.
Lunchbox treats
Everyday treats, creatively packaged and labeled, are perfect for sharing at school or work. Write or print fun labels for fruit, nuts, drinks or small packages of candy (ideas: "We're Quite the Pear," "I Go Bananas for You," "Orange You Glad We're Friends," You're Golden Delicious," "We're Mint to Be" "You're Sweet," and "Sealed With a Kiss").
Apple prints
Here's a fun project to make with kids or grandkids. Cut an apple in half and trim the edges so it looks like a heart. Dip in red paint and stamp cards. When it dries, add a message and glue on seeds.
Sweet setting
Create a Valentine's place setting for a special breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ours includes an adhesive gemmed letter, a candy-filled heart and plenty of accents in shades of pink.
DIY cards
Create these cards with heart-shape cookie cutters, 5x7 cards, a 4-inch foam roller and acrylic paint. Roll on paint, leaving about a half-inch border. When dry, dip cookie cutters in contrasting paint and stamp.
Potato hearts
Fingerling potatoes sliced in half lengthwise make perfect stampers for Valentine's treat sacks. Put a piece of cardboard inside a 4"x6" muslin bag. Take one potato half and press into an ink pad or paint, then press onto the bag to create half a heart shape. Press the other potato half into a second ink pad or different shade of paint and press onto bag to complete the heart. Let dry before removing the cardboard. Fill with candy or other treats.
'Love potion' buffet
An assortment of fruity drinks, either homemade or purchased, makes a fun "love potion" buffet. Include a sweet treat like your favorite chocolate cake, and accent with fresh flowers such as these cut cyclamen.
Painted place mats
Create cute Valentine's placemats in minutes with muslin, paint, a brush and a round stamp shape. Use the brush to make X's and the stamp to make the O's. A fingerling potato sliced in half may be the right shape for the O's.
Red-and-white garland
Make a garland of hearts cut from fabric scraps layered and attached with iron-on adhesive. Tie together with ribbon. You could achieve a similar effect using sturdy scrapbook paper, too.
Lunch surprise
Do you help pack lunch for someone in your house? Leave them a surprise by clipping on Valentine's candy. We used pinking shears to cut a scalloped border around red card stock, layered on a contrasting piece of paper, then attached foil-wrapped chocolates with double-sided tape.
Paper heart wreath
Make a simple wreath out of pretty scrapbooking papers and glue dots. Cut a 12-inch square of double-sided scrapbook paper into one-inch strips. Make seven hearts. Fold a paper strip in half, sandwiching a glue dot about an inch down from the fold to create the top of the heart. Bend the loose ends away from the center and use two more dots to join them at the point. Use glue dots to adhere the sides of the hearts in a circle and to add a ribbon for hanging.
Tag it
Homemade tags from scrapbooking papers, ribbons and stickers make any gift look special. Use a palette of no more than three to four colors for the prettiest results.
Wrap a vase
Create a pretty centerpiece by adding the texture of burlap to a plain cylinder vase and filling your vase with flowers in a matching color.
Wrap the vase with colored burlap, attaching with double-sided tape. Add ribbon to the top and bottom of the burlap with fabric glue.
Candles and flowers
Easy centerpiece: Three stemless wine glasses hold roses floating in a bit of water, while votives provide a flickering accent.
Miniature messages
Use mini cupcakes to spell out a special message.
Nontraditional vase
Show off your beautiful blooms in a new way. Cut rose stems to 6 inches and remove leaves. Pack tightly in a straight-sided container and wrap with ribbon. Change the water daily.
Valentine's pancakes
Use a pancake pen (such as the Tovolo one) to "write" X and O shapes with pancake batter on a hot griddle pan. Or use X- and O-shape cookie cutters to creates shapes after round pancakes are cooked. Add fresh fruit for color and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Heart wreath
Create a heart wreath with pretty card stock and scrapbooking papers. Use paper punches or scissors to cut out hearts, then curl by scraping them as you would curling ribbon. Layer and glue to a cardstock base.
Cookies with heart
Package homemade cookies with paper hearts—held together with a brad—for a lunch or dinner family treat.
Puffed Heart Lemon Cookies recipe
Lollipop bouquet
Create a simple Valentine's Day centerpiece or gift with lollipop flowers. Fold colored card stock in half and cut out six hearts. Punch a small hole near the tip of each heart, insert a lollipop stick and arrange six hearts on the stem; fan out petals around the stick.
Informal Valentine place setting
A centerpiece of lollipop flowers (see previous slide) sets the tone for an informal Valentine place setting for breakfast or lunch.
Homemade cards
Homemade cards brighten anyone's day. Create sweet messages with hearts, cardstock and ribbon.
Jazz up a cake
Add punch to a purchased cake with touches like a red cake stand, number blocks, and heart decorations.
Heart frames
Create a frame of candy or foam hearts to suround a special picture. Cut out a cardboard circle to fit on top of a frame, then glue on candy hearts or use stick-on foam hearts.
More Valentine's Day ideasRelated Links


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Yesterday in Errors Matter #1, I argued that any new reconstruction now proposed by Mann et al. as a means of salvaging MBH98-type results has to also meet the representations and warranties of MBH98 used to induce widespread acceptance. I showed that the no-PC reconstruction recently proposed by Mann et al. as a way of salvaging MBH98-type results did not meet those standards. Today, I show that the salvage proposal of Rutherford et al. [2005] (in which many Hockey Team members are co-authors, including Mann, Bradley, Hughes, Jones, Briffa and Osborn) also fails these standards.
Re-capping yesterday, Rutherford et al. [2005] is the "completely different methodology" reported in the following statement from the Hockey Team:
We quickly recap the points for readers who do not want to wade through the details: i) the MBH98 results do not depend on what kind of PCA is used, as long as all significant PCs are included, ii) the results are insensitive to whether PCA is used at all (or whether all proxies are included directly), and iii) the results are replicated using a completely different methodology (Rutherford et al, 2005).
Rutherford et al. [2005] is available in pre-publication form here. As I'll show in detail, the "completely different methodology" of Rutherford et al. is completely irrelevant to the issues that we have raised.
The differences in methodology are all downstream of the construction of the proxy network and pertain only to difference in massaging this data. Rutherford et al. [2005] uses a procedure called "RegEM", while calibration-estimation through linear regression are used in MBH98. It is my contention that the flaws in the network will be carried forward and replacing a downstream linear regression module with a downstream RegEM module is completely and astonishingly irrelevant.
Rutherford et al. [2005] uses the RegEM module on two networks, which are relevant to the present discussion. Unfortunately, both of these networks are flawed:
1. the first network is the original MBH98 network with flawed PC calculations. It seems pretty cheeky to carry out calculations using the very same flawed PC series and then argue that such calculations have anything to say about the effect of the flawed PC calculations.
2. the second is the no-PC network discussed yesterday in Errors Matter #1, in which all semblance of reasonably even spatial sampling was abandoned in favor of a network dominated (80 of 95) by American tree rings and, in particular, by bristlecone pines.
The Flawed MBH98 Network
It may seem impossible to believe that calculations using the original flawed PC series of MBH98 are now presented as evidence that the calculation errors do not "matter", but the evidence is incontrovertible once you wade through Rutherford et al. [2005]. The data set (as used in Rutherford et al. [2005]) is not archived, so one has to rely on the descriptions in the text. The article itself states that 112 indicators were used in the AD1820 step and 22 indicators in the AD1400 step. These are exactly the same number of indicators as used in MBH98. There is no statement in Rutherford et al. [2005] that the PC series were re-calculated to correct the erroneous PC method. Thus, at this point, the evidence suggests that the Rutherford et al. [2005] dataset is identical to the MBH98 dataset. I'll check this if and when the Rutherford et al. dataset as used is archived, but there's not a shred of doubt in my mind on this point.
The problem with the PC calculations was known to the authors a long time prior to publication, but they did not discuss this matter in the article. Although the authors were familiar with the problem,I suspect that the referees were not. Applying standards of a business prospectus, it would be the responsibility of the authors to discuss this problem in the article and to notify the referees of this potential problem. This does not seem to have been done here. Since the Rutherford et al. article had been brought to our attention, we pointed out the inadequate disclosure of these matters to the editor of Journal of Climate prior to publication of this article and suggested that the matter be brought to the attention of the referees. Instead of doing so, my understanding of subsequent correspondence is that the editor contented himself with the assurance of the authors that they stood behind their calculations. Given that the RegEM calculations have been carried out on the same flawed network, one would expect identical problems as MBH98 in relation to a lack of robustness to the presence/absence of bristlecone pines in the 15th century calculations in this method. The onus is surely on Rutherford et al. to disprove this, but they not only fail to do so, they do not even consider the matter.
Similarly, one expects the same problems as MBH98 for verification statistics – a spurious RE statistic (as discussed in our GRL article) and non-significant values of other statistics. As with MBH98, Rutherford et al. [2005] fail to provide a suite of verification statistics (e.g. the suite listed in Cook et al. [1994] in which Briffa and Jones were coauthors). Table 2 of Rutherford et al [2005] shows RE statistics against annual temperatures of 0.46 for their "20-year hybrid method" (0.40 – nohybrid). MBH98 itself reported an RE statistic of 0.51 against annual temperatures. As we reported in or GRL paper, our emulations of their method have only been able to achieve an RE of 0.46 (and this only by a variance scaling step not mentioned in MBH98.) These numbers here are pretty similar.
All of the criticisms of MM05 (GRL) regarding the lack of statistical significance in MBH98 will apply against the RegEM method:
1. the RE benchmark in MBH98 is flawed. Our simulations show that 99% RE significance (against "reconstructions" from simulated PC1s) is only reached at 0.56 (as compared with the 0.0 benchmark asserted in MBH98). As against a more accurate benchmark, the RegEM does not have 99% (or even 95%) significance;
2. we surmise that the RegEM reconstruction fails other verification statistical tests. If the reconstruction is as close to MBH98 as it seems (and since it uses the same flawed network, this is likely), we expect the R2 statistic to be near 0.0 – obviously insignificant. Circumstantial evidence that the R2 statistic is very low under this method is provided by the simple fact that it is not disclosed in the paper itself; it is not reported online; and, instead of providing the statistic, the authors have provided an online supplement complaining about the R2 statistic. I will discuss this curious contribution on another occasion, but, for now, merely observe that, if the R2 statistic had been high, I feel confident that the authors would have reported it without editorializing. I also feel that the authors should report the R2 statistic and let the readers decide in that context. However, an R2 of 0.0 does tend to scare off many readers and perhaps that's why it's left unmentioned.
3. Rutherford et al. promise to provide a CE statistic in an online supplement (which will be interesting), but have not done so yet. We do not know why they didn't report it in the paper itself. If the CE statistic is significance, I would have expected that the R2 statistic would also be significant. Conversely, since it appears that the R2 statistic is insignificant, I would expect that the CE statistic, when reported, will be insignificant.
The No-PC RegEM Calculation
Rutherford et al. also report on the application of RegEM to a no-P
C network. I will discuss this only briefly since all of the pertinent issues have already been dealt with. Yesterday, I showed that the no-PC network under MBH98 regression methods was an abandonment of any attempt at reasonably even spatial sampling, was not robust to the presence/absence of bristlecone pines and lacked statistical skill.
Obviously, the no-PC network with a RegEM back end still abandons any attempt at reasonably even spatial sampling and this single failure is really all that matters – 80 of 95 proxies are North American tree rings and bristlecone pines dominate. Again, Rutherford et al. fail to show that this method is robust to the presence/absence of bristlecone pines. I have been unable to locate any statistics on this reconstruction — not even an RE statistic. Instead, they provide a figure (Figure 2) which supposedly illustrates that the calculation is "nearly indistinguishable" from MBH98. The illustration is quite strange since the no-PC reconstruction ("allproxy") is only shown up to the mid-19th century and thus provides no assistance towards even a visual estimate of the performance in the calibration and verification period. Our surmise is that the RE statistic will be similar to the RE statistic of the no-PC reconstruction discussed above and that the R2 statistic will be insignificant.
Thus, neither of the reconstructions in Rutherford et al. [2005] meet the various standards and representations of even spatial sampling, robustness and statistical skill, which induced the widespread acceptance of MBH98.
In passing, I'm pleased that Rutherford et al. have promised to archive Matlab source code for this article, although the source code is not yet archived. (I may even take some small credit for drawing attention of the paleoclimate community to the need to improve this type of audit trail). However, the willingness of the Hockey Team to archive the source code for Rutherford et al. [2005] points out even more starkly their obdurate refusal to archive code for MBH98, which becomes then all the more puzzling.


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This article was originally published in the July/August 1997 issue of Home Energy Magazine. Some formatting inconsistencies may be evident in older archive content.
| Back to Contents Page | Home Energy Index | About Home Energy |
Home Energy Magazine Online July/August 1997
Multifamily Research Gets in Hot Water
A recent study by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has demonstrated that the tankless coil is, in fact, slightly less efficient than two other common heating systems (the research was conducted by the EME Group and cofunded by Con Edison). The other two systems examined in the study were the direct-fired storage tank and the indirect-fired storage tank.
The direct-fired storage tank is a larger version of the water heater common to most detached homes across the country (see Figure 1). Indirect-fired tanks, which have been aggressively promoted but have found little use in single-family homes, consist of a boiler and a heavily insulated, nonfired storage tank. Water in these units is heated via a heat exchanger that is in the tank itself or in the boiler. Because of its extra capacity--the tank serves as a buffer during peak loads--the indirect unit can generally use a smaller boiler than a tankless coil.
The tankless coil is essentially a bundle of copper tubes situated inside a boiler. When there is a demand for DHW, cold water enters the coil, is heated by the boiler water to about 140°F-180°F, and is then mixed with cold water via a thermostatic tempering valve, typically down to a tap temperature of about 120°F.Monthly Flip Flops For the purpose of its evaluation, EME installed four DHW systems in two side-by-side buildings. Each building had a direct-fired tank. One building also had a tankless coil in the boiler, and the other had indirect-fired tanks fed by the boiler. The systems were alternated monthly--a flip-flop test-- over the course of a year. All systems were heavily instrumented and monitored at 15-minute intervals.
The data showed small differences in efficiency among the three systems. The system with the tankless coil was the least efficient of the three, with overall efficiency at 34% (meaning that 2 out of every 3 Btu that went into heating the water were wasted). In comparison, direct- and indirect-fired tanks were slightly more efficient, with overall efficiencies of 35% and 37%, respectively. When the added first cost of these other two systems was factored in, the simple payback from choosing either one over the tankless coil was approximately 25 years! (The difference in first cost between the tankless coil and other systems in this project ranged between $3,000 and $4,000.)
The small difference in efficiency is not surprising. Modern, well-insulated, low water-volume boilers, especially those large enough to serve multifamily buildings, have relatively low jacket and off-cycle losses. Equipped with a tankless coil, they can compete effectively against the other two systems.
Another interesting finding was the distribution of DHW flow. DHW systems are difficult to design and size, because of the wide range of flow from zero to peak demand. The DHW demand in the buildings ranged from 0 to 180 gallons per hour (gph). Of the total DHW flow, 70% was at 60 gph or less, 90% was at 100 gph or less, and the range of 120 to 180 gph represented a mere 2% of the total (see Figure 2).Implications for Future System Design As shown by the upper line on Figure 1, the direct-fired system, like the other systems, has higher thermal efficiency at higher loads--almost double the average. Unfortunately, this high efficiency is almost useless because it occurs during very brief periods. For example, at 140-150 gph, efficiency is about 58%; however, this load occurs less than 1% of the total period load. At low loads, such as 0-10 gph, efficiency is dismal (about 12%).
When developing new systems, designers should strive for higher efficiency at low loads. One approach would be to downsize the main boiler significantly, and install a small booster boiler that would come on only during peak DHW demand. Overall first cost would be similar, but the system would operate closer to the full capacity of the downsized boiler, and thus more efficiently. Several manufacturers currently market water heating systems that are energy efficient at low and high loads.
Recirculation line losses must also be addressed--even if the energy codes do not address them. Recirculation flow can be optimized and the temperature reduced during periods of low draw using demand-sensitive, temperature-reducing controls (see Controlling Recirculation Loop Heat Losses, HE Jan/Feb '93, p. 9).
Piping losses can be reduced if lines are insulated. If piping is scheduled for replacement, or if it is accessible, installing insulation could reduce losses considerably--the N.Y. State Energy Code recommends a minimum of R-4 insulation for pipes less than 3/4 inch in diameter. NYSERDA is currently evaluating recirculation control strategies to identify and demonstrate the lowest-cost strategies for minimizing line losses.
--Tom Sahagian and Norine KarinsTom Sahagian is a senior associate with EME Group and Norine H. Karins is a project manager with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Buildings Research Division.
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Transfer Download
Tuesday Sept 25, 2018
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Art House Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Contact:Robyn Day
More events at Art House Santa Fe
The exhibition features new digital art by 15 international artists showcased in an interactive display chamber called a hyperspace.Runs through 5/01/2019.
TRANSFER Download opens June 15 at Art House in concert with the Currents New Media and Futurition | Santa Fe Festivals. The exhibition features new digital art by fifteen international artists showcased in an interactive display chamber called a hyperspace. Visitors can select artworks to view from a menu within an immersive projection area. TRANSFER Download brings together the latest generation of artists engaging with powerful technologies of 3D animation software, gaming engines, and algorithmic simulation, including Lorna Mills (Toronto); Lu Yang (Shanghai); Carla Gannis (New York); AES+F (Moscow); Claudia Hart (New York & Chicago); LaTurbo Avedon (The Internet); Theo Triantafyllidis (Los Angeles); Alex McLeod (Toronto); Rollin Leonard (Los Angeles); Sabrina Ratté (Paris); Rick Silva and Nicolas Sassoon (Pacific Northwest); Snow Yunxue Fu (Chicago); Phillip David Stearns (New York); Harvey Moon (San Francisco); and Daniel Temkin (New York).
Sunday, June 10, 1 pm: Curator Kelani Nichole gives a free public talk The Networked Avant-garde at SITE Santa Fe (1606 Paseo de Peralta), discussing the ways in which the internet has changed the production and sharing of artwork, and how experimental galleries like TRANSFER are disrupting the infrastructure of the art world. The talk is presented by the Thoma Foundation in partnership with SITE Santa Fe and Currents New Media.


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"What I'm Reading" is a series about books I'm reading that I may or may not review later
What I'm reading: Memoir of a Debulked Woman: Enduring Ovarian Cancer (Norton, 296 pp., $24.95), by Susan Gubar.
What it is: A feminist scholar's memoir of the medical "calamities" she endured after undergoing the standard medical treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, known as debulking surgery.
Why I'm reading it: Few authors have written in depth about having advanced ovarian cancer, partly because few women survive the disease long enough to do it.
Quote from the book: "the state of contemporary approaches to ovarian cancer is a scandal."
Probability that I will review the book: 100%
Publication date: April 2012
Read an excerpt from Memoir of a Debulked Woman or learn more about the book.
About the author: Gubar co-write The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination, a book widely used in college classes.
You can follow Jan (@janiceharayda) on Twitter by clicking on the "Follow" button in the right sidebar.
© 2012 Janice Harayda


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The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority has delayed its vote on procuring a new operating contract for Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center, while the company managing the facilities for nearly two decades continues its challenge of the process through which the contract is awarded.West Conshohocken, Pa.-based SMG filed a complaint in U.S. District Court and sent a letter to ACCVA President Jeffrey Vasser on Nov. 30 citing legal flaws in the authority's procurement process for the contract. As of Wednesday, the ACCVA had not postponed its plans to award the contract this morning, so attorneys for SMG filed a brief challenging the clause in the request for proposals requiring arbitration for any protests; a judge today ruled that clause violates state regulations.
The ACCVA subsequently pushed its vote on the facilities management contract to its next regularly scheduled board meeting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 13, according to Vasser. Vasser said the agency had planned to vote on the bids at 8:30 this morning, but the meeting was restructured to take public comments — several of which came from SMG supporters who "filled the meeting room and raised additional business conflict issues," a company spokesman said in an e-mail.
According to the spokesman, those issues include officials of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the Atlantic City Alliance — organizations funded by the casinos "which compete with Boardwalk Hall" — serving on the contract's selection committee; and Comcast-Spector subsidiary Global Spectrum, SMG's lone competitor for the contract, operating arenas located in the South Jersey region that are "Boardwalk Hall's major competition" for events.
"Our next step — which will be more aggressively pursuing conflict issues — will have to await authority action," the spokesman said. "The authority did say today they are going to have a vote next week, but from our point of view, it will still be a vote on a flawed process."
Citing potential litigation from SMG, Vasser would not comment on the procurement process, but he said in an e-mail the ACCVA board "listened to public comments and will take that under advisement."
SMG has operated Boardwalk Hall and the Convention Center for 17 years, though its current management contract for the facilities expires Dec. 31.


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Chief of staff: Obama seeks 'balanced way' to budget fix
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is concerned about the effect that looming, drastic across-the-board budget cuts will have on the middle class, his new chief of staff said Sunday. Congressional Republicans predicted the cuts would start as scheduled next month and blamed Obama not only for doing little to stop them but for the idea itself.
The cuts, called the sequester, would drain $85 billion from the government's budget over the coming seven months. Actual cuts may be around 13 percent for defense and 9 percent for other programs because lawmakers delayed their impact, requiring savings over a shorter period of time. The White House last week let loose a list of ways Americans would feel the trims, from longer waits at airport security to as many as 13,000 teachers being laid off. Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told a congressional panel the sequester would hollow the U.S. military because it would give the Pentagon little leeway in deciding how best to spend the money.
Denis McDonough, the president's chief of staff, warned the cuts would come as the stock market is coming back, the housing market has improved and the number of jobs has grown, and urged Congress to consider a balanced approach that would further strengthen the economy and, in turn, the middle class.
"This isn't a spending fight for us," McDonough told CBS's "Face the Nation." "This is a fight about whether we're going to make the investments in middle class families in this country, in education, in science and technology, in food inspection, and those kinds of things."
Senate Democrats last week offered a plan they say is a balanced approach of more revenue and budget cuts. The White House supports the proposal, but it drew an icy reception from Republicans, who say the president got the tax increases he wanted during the agreement to avoid the "fiscal cliff."
"The question isn't whether we're going to insist on some position because that's the ideologically right position," McDonough said. "This should not be a social science experiment. This should be a question where we ask ourselves, what is most important to the economy, what is most important to the middle class families of this country, and that's the way the president is going to do this."
South Carolina's Sen. Lindsay Graham was among the Republicans on Sunday who recalled the president's position on the sequester in the fall.
"The president promised in the campaign sequestration would not happen. Now, he is allowing it to happen," Graham said on "Fox News Sunday."
"He's the commander-in-chief and on his watch, we're going to begin to unravel the finest military in the history of the world, at a time when we need it most," Graham, a member of the Armed Services Committee added. "If you want to look at ways to find $1.2 trillion in savings over the next decade, let's look at Obamacare. Let's don't destroy the military and just cut blindly across the board. There are many ways to do this."
However, Graham offered no specifics.
The Democrats propose generating revenue from plugging some tax loopholes. Those include tax breaks for the oil and gas industry and businesses that have sent jobs overseas and taxing millionaires at a rate of at least 30 percent.
Rep. Paul Ryan, who chairs the Budget Committee, advocates for plugging loopholes, but as part of a discussion on tax reform, not sequestration.
"Loopholes are necessary for tax reform," Ryan said on ABC's "This Week." ''If you take them for spending, you're blocking tax reform and you're really not getting the deficit under control."
With the March 1 deadline fast approaching, Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and close ally of the White House, predicted that Republicans will eventually join Democrats to avoid the cuts.
"They have no choice," Schumer said on CNN's "State of the Union." ''Their arguments are untenable and don't meet the favor of hardly anyone other than themselves and the special interests they're protecting."


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Not known Facts About 7 Reasons To Love Beaches Turks And Caicos With Teens
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It's a smaller and more intimate resort than many of the others, and guests from other Sandals properties on the island are not able to access here (but guests staying at Royal Plantation are able to access the other Sandals resorts on the island). This all-suite resort has just 74 rooms, meaning you'll have plenty of space for yourself and amazing service.
Perfect for those in search of extra privacy and luxury. Sandals South Coast/ Photo Credit: Sandals Resorts You won't regret opting for a Sandals over the water villa – Jamaica has some of the most beautiful options available in this part of the world! If you prefer to spend more time in the pool than in the ocean, you'll be happy to know that all of the Sandals Jamaica Resorts have great pools.


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